If you thought 2025 was starting with a somewhat different flavour to recent years, you’re right. It’s no less wild, though. How wild? Dana White, the CEO of the UFC, has just been appointed to Meta’s board of directors. Yes, that Dana White. And yes, that Meta. The one that’s dropping fact-checking in favour of X-style community notes.
That isn’t the only change to the social media giant’s board. John Elkann and Charlie Songhurst, respectively the head of Exor (a European investment firm) and an experienced venture capitalist, also add their experience to Meta’s board. All of the new appointments make sense but… just how seriously is Mark Zuckerberg taking his jiu-jutsu these days? Oh…
Dana White enters the ring
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “Dana, John, and Charlie will add a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities ahead with AI, wearables, and the future of human connection.”
White looks to have a very specific role on the board — building Meta’s brand. The company has experienced issues with its image in recent years, mostly caused by internal fumbles. Dana White has taken the UFC from relatively humble beginnings to being a global phenomenon. His input could do similar (positive) things for Meta.
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White said, “I’ve never been interested in joining a board of directors until I got the offer to join Meta’s board. I am a huge believer that social media and AI are the future.”
“I am very excited to join this incredible team and to learn more about this business from the inside. There is nothing I love more than building brands, and I look forward to helping take Meta to the next level.”
Now maybe Dana can set up that Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg event we’ve all been eager to see — with Joe Rogan commentating, of course.